Filter press construction

ABSTRACT

A stack of horizontally oriented vertically superposed filter plates each having a frame is arranged in a filter press. Projecting pins extend laterally from the respective frames and engaging elements are journaled on the pins and each operative to engage and maintain spaced from the respective filter plate a subjacent or superposed filter plate when the stack is vertically shifted in response to opening of the filter press.

United States Patent Schotten et al.

FILTER PRESS CONSTRUCTION Alfons Schotten; Franz l-leimbach, both of Duren, Germany Inventors:

Eberhard Hocsch & Sohue, Duren, Germany Assignee:

Filed: Apr. 20, 1970 Appl. No.: 30,192

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 5, 1969 Germany ..P 19 61 061.8

US. Cl. ..210/224 Int. Cl ..B01d 25/00 Field of Search ..2l0/221-23 1;

[' Mar. 14, 1972 [561 References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 683,196 9/1901 Bisbee.... ..2l0/224 X 1,330,332 2/1920 Miller.... ..2l0/224 1,107,487 8/1914 Brown.... ....100/l98 X 3,232,435 2/1966 Lismer .210/231 X Primary ExaminerReuben Friedman Assistant Examiner-T. A. Granger Attorney-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A stack of horizontally oriented vertically superposed filter plates each having a frame is arranged in a filter press. Projecting pins extend laterally from the respective frames and engaging elements are journaled on the pins and each operative to engage and maintain spaced from the respective filter plate a subjacent or superposed filter plate when the stack is vertically shifted in response to opening of the filter press.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR14 m2 SHEET 1 OF 4 IN VE N TOR 44 POMS S 077ml BY PM: HEMM-cu d5- dub! PATENTEDMAR 14 1912 3,648 841 sum 2 or 4 FIG. 5 F 6.6

INVENTOR y $600775" BY FRI). "El/ 84C PATENTEDMAR 14 1912 3,648 841 SHEET 3 OF 4 IN VEN TOR AbFDA/S swarm BY rum HE/HEACH FILTER PRESS CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to filter pressconstructions, and more particularly to upright filter press constructions. Still more particularly the present invention is co'ncemed with upright filter presses in which horizontally arranged filter plates are vertically superimposed in a stack.

It is well known that when such presses are opened, it is necessary that the plates or more particularly the entire stack of plates be either shifted upwardly or, more conventionally, downwardly. This means that during such displacement all plates of the stack are shifted in such a manner that when the displacement is finished, there will be identical spacing between consecutive plates.

In order to guarantee that the plates will perform this desired movement it is of course necessary that they be connected with one another. It is known to provide devices which effect such connection, and the present invention is particularly concerned with an improvement on such devices. A known device of this type comprises angle members which are secured at or adjacent the edges of the respective plate frame on surfaces of the frame which are vertically oriented, such angle members having a vertically oriented arm secured to the respective surface and a horizontally oriented arm projecting from the frame and formed with a bore accommodating a bolt and nuts. The bolt connects the horizontally extending vertically superposed arms of two consecutive filter plate frames and this suspendedfor instance, by means of its head or a nut-from the uppermost horizontal arm whereas it extends freely through and downwardly below the bore of the lowermost of the two horizontal arms. When the plates are vertically shifted their relative movement can continue only until they are spaced by a distance corresponding substantially to the length of the bolt, because at that time the head or nut at the lower end of the bolt will have moved into engagement with the lowermost of the two horizontal arms.

While this arrangement is generally workable, it has several disadvantages. Firstly, it is not possible with this arrangement to have the suspending arrangements of superimposed filter plates vertically aligned, because when the filter press is closed and the blades are in abutment rather than spaced from one another, the bolts would interfere with one another. For this reason it is necessary that for successive pairs of superimposed plates the suspending device be laterally offset with respect to a desired vertical alignment. This, however, has the further disadvantage that the substantial forces acting upon the devices will enter into the respective plate frames at such leverage that they tend to displace the frames or frame por tions out of their horizontal orientation.

A further disadvantage resides in the fact that with this arrangement the spacing between consecutive ones of the filter plates-when the press is open-is rather small and only slightly larger than the thickness of the filter cake which forms on the respective plates and is located between the consecutive plates. This not only leads to difiiculties in the removal of the filter cake-unless the same is automatically ejectable by an endless filter band which passes in zigzag pattern between the consecutive platesbut also makes it more difficult to clean the filter plates. Such cleaning, it will be appreciated, is particularly necessary when the press is changed over from working with one product to another, for instance when a change in color of the product being treated is involved. This cleaning of the filter plates is not possible at the spacing which can be achieved with the known suspending devices. It is therefore necessary when these suspending devices are employed, to suspend the uppermost of a pair of filter plates which is to be cleaned, to remove the bolts, to lower the lowermost of the pair and all other plates below the lowermost one by the desired distance, to effect cleaning and thereafter to carry out the aforedescribed steps in reverse. Of course, it is also possible to suspend or support the lowermost of the pair of plates which is to be cleaned, to disconnect the bolts and to raise the uppermost and all other plates above it by the desired distance. In any case, when the pair of plates is to be reconnected, it is not a particularly simple matter to so adjust the setting of the bolts and nuts thereon in such manner that the lowermost plate of the pair and all other plates below it are suspended from the uppermost plate of the pair precisely in horizontal orientation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction of the type set forth above in which the suspending devices for'the individual filter plates can be vertically aligned.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such a construction in which no forces tending to bend the filter plate frames will act upon the latter.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide such a construction which is highly reliable in its operation and yet very simple.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereof, one feature of the invention recites, in a filter press, in a combination which briefly stated comprises a stack of horizontally oriented vertically superposed filter plates each having a frame, and projecting means provided on and'laterally extending from the respective frames. Engaging means is mounted on the projecting means of the respective filter plates and each operative for engaging the projecting means of a vertically adjacent filter plate so as to maintain successive ones of the filter plates connected at predetermined spacing in response to vertical shifting of the stack.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary side-elevational view showing several filter plates of a stack in an arrangement embodying the present invention, with the filter plates shown in the position which they assume when the filter press is closed;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1 but showing the filter plates in the position which they assume when the filter press is open;

FIG. 4 is a view somewhat analogous to FIG. 1 showing a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a detail of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIGS. 1-3, it will be seen that the filter plates are identified with reference numeral 10. They are suspended in horizontal orientation and in a vertically superimposed stack, within a filter press of known construction which is not illustrated in order to avoid complicating the drawing unnecessarily.

At the corners 11 the frames of the filter plates 10 are provided with angle members 12 which are secured to the frames by means of screws 13 or analogous fastening means, and one arm 14 of which is provided with a projecting pin 15 whereas the other arm 16 is'altemately provided with two supporting arms 17 each of which has a bifurcated journal 18 capable of accommodating a reversing roller 19 for a nonillustrated endless filter band (known per se) which is passed in zigzag fashion between the consecutive filter plates 10 of the stack.

As the drawing shows, the projections 15 are introduced into a bore 20 in the arms 14 of the angle members 12 before the latter are secured to the filter plates, and the projections or pins 15 have a shoulder 21 which abuts against a step 22 in the bore 20, with the diameter 23 being so selected that the pins 15 are tightly received in the bores 20. At 24 the pins 15 are reduced in diameter.

Mounted on each pin 15 is an engaging element 26 which is prevented from undesired removal by a chain arm ring 27 and a splint or cotter pin 28. The purpose of the member 27 will be discussed subsequently, but it should be understood that the members 26 are so arranged that the one illustrated in FIG. 2 which is associated with the filter plate second from the top in FIG. 1, is located close to the arm 14 of the angle member 12, whereas the members 26 located above and below are offset outwardly in axial direction of the respective pins 15. This avoids interference when the plates are in the abutting position shown in FIG. 1. Of course, it is possible to make other arrangements, for instance such that the members 26 with their bores 29 are always in abutment with the shoulder 20 between the seat 23 and the projection and with their book portions 15 are outwardly offset in their plane. However, this would not change the load distribution circumstances and would make the manufacture of the hooks of the members 26 difiicult;

nevertheless, such an arrangement would still further simplify the use of the invention.

As the drawing shows, the hook portions of the members 26 are so arranged that due to their configuration and their center of gravity they have the tendency to tilt towards the right in FIG. 1. The longer inner line 32 of the respective hook portions therefore always abuts against the pin 15 of the nextlower filter plate 10, while when the filter plates are in the abutting closed position shown in FIG. 1, the tips 33 are located at the opposite side of the pins 15 so that the members 26 will always engage the pins 15 with the respective tip 33 even if jamming should occur-and will reliably hold the respective subjacent plate 10 after abutment of its pin 15 at the bottom portion 34 of the respective hook, subsequent to movement of the hook with the shorter inner edge 35 along the pin.

As the drawing further shows, the shorter outer edge 36 of the hook 31 on the members 26 is so configurated that it will not prevent the desired movement. Again, changes are also possible in this case, for instance, in a sense that pivoting of the members 26 on closing of the press-that is movement of the filter plates to the position shown in FIG. 1and prior to reaching of the closed position is caused not by the longer inner edge 32 but by the shorter outer edge 36 at the tip 33 of the hook.

The manner in which the plates are suspended in horizontal position but with desired vertical spacing when the press is in open condition, as shown in FIG. 3.

Coming to FIG. 4 it is pointed out how a chain arm or chain lever 37shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6-can be utilized for providing a large spacing between two consecutive vertically superposed plates 10. The lever 37 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a pivot point 38 passing through a correspondingly configurated bore 39 which upwardly is enlarged to form a further bore 40. The bore 39 has a diameter corresponding to the pin 15 shown in FIG. 2, whereas the diameter of the bore 40 corresponds to the diameter of the edge 40a of member 27 in FIG. 2. This makes it possible to push the member 37 onto the ring 27 (see FIG. 2) and to incline it.

As FIGS. 5 and 6 show, the member 37 has two arms, the longer one of which is identified with reference numeral 41 and formed with a hook 42 as shown in FIG. 6. The shorter arm is identified with reference numeral 43 and provided with a pin 44 which, when the member 37 is placed onto. the ring 27, extends in the direction towards the respective plate 10.

When the member 37 is thus assembled with the member 27, and when a chain 45 is engaged with the hook 42 of the member 37 as shown in FIG. 4, and subsequently'the plates 10 are opened, that is removed away from one another, then the member 37 will be pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 4 in which it is substantially vertical with its pin 44 abutting against the correspondingly configurated edge 25 at the member 26, displacing the same in the direction of the arrow 46 so that the tip 33 will not engage the pin 15 of the subjacent plate 10. This means that the upper set of plates 10 remains in the closed abutting position as shown in FIG. 4, whereas the lower setof plates 10 is lowered so that the distance 47 between two plates 10-namely the lowermost plate of the upper set and the uppermost plate of the lower set-can be increased to the total stroke of the displacing device used in the respective press.

It will be appreciated that in order to maintain the plates 10 in stable and continuously truly horizontal position, each of the plates 10 must be provided with at least three-and usually four-of the devices according to the present invention, that is the pins and engaging elements as disclosed.

With the present invention the devices will not interfere with one another when the plates are enclosed, that is in abutting condition, because as is clear from the disclosure the members 26 are displaced laterally on contact with the respective hook portions with the subjacent pins 15, and because of the axially offset arrangement of the members 26 on vertically superposed ones of the pins 15, vertically successive ones of the members 26 do not interfere with one another either.

A further advantage is the simplicity of assembly and disassembly. It is only necessary to push the members 26 with their bores over the pins 15 in such a manner that only every second one of the pins 15 is provided with one of the members 26; subsequently the remaining pins 15 are similarly provided with the members 26. This results necessarily in the desired axially offset arrangement of the members 26 on vertically aligned successive ones of the pins 15. Moreover, this axial offsetting is afforded without providing abutments on the pins 15, without providing spacing elements and while permitting the use of cylindrical pins which are simple to manufacture. The transmission of forces into the frames of the plates 10, tending to bend the frames, is avoided and only negligible torsional forces remain. Furthermore, only small forces act upon the pins 15 themselves in a sense tending to bend them, because the members 26 can be arranged closely adjacent, this being made possible by making them flat and particularly making them in form of stampings which are produced by stamping from sheet material in plate form or the like.

It will be appreciated that the use of the member 37 shown in FIGS. 4-6 is not necessary, although it is highly advantageous. Its use makes it possible to produce a particularly large spacing between any two vertically superposed plates 10 while leaving the plates located above the uppermost of the two plates, and those located below the lowermost of the two plates, in closed condition, that is in abutment with one another. This facilitates displacement of such two plates with reference to one another by such a distance that proper cleaning can be carried out as desired without requiring difficult procedures or complicated equipment.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a filter press construction, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. I

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claimsv We claim:

1. In a filter press, in combination, a stack of horizontally oriented vertically superposed filter plates each having a frame; a plurality of projections provided on and laterally extending from the respective frames; and a plurality of engaging elements mounted on the projections of the respective filter plates and each operative for engaging the projections of a vertically adjacent filter plate so as to maintain successive ones of said filter plates connected at predetermined spacing in response to vertical shifting of said stack, each of said engaging elements having spaced end portions one of which is provided with a bore accommodating one of said projections and the other of which is configurated as an open hook releasably engageable with a projection of a vertically adjacent filter plate.

2. In a filter press as defined in claim 1, wherein said one end is the upper end, and said other end is the lower end.

3. In a filter press as defined in claim 2, wherein said engaging elements are of planar configuration and provided on vertically adjacent ones of said projections in axially offset relationship.

4. In a filter press as defined in claim 3, said engaging elements being sheet metal stampings.

5. In a filter press as defined in claim 3, said engaging elements being freely turnable around the axis of the respectively associated projection; and wherein said hook-shaped other ends are so configurated that they depend freely under the infiuence of gravity, with the tip of the respective hook extending laterally beyond the associated filter plate.

6. in a filter press as defined in claim 3, said frames having comers; further comprising angle elements each embracing one of said comers and having two arms; and screw means releasably connecting said angle elements to said comers, one of said arms carrying one of said projections; and a reversing roll journaled on the other of said arms and engageable with an endless filter band which passes in a zigzag path between consecutive ones of said filter plates.

7. In a filter press as defined in claim 6; further comprising a support member provided on the other of said arms, and a journal provided on said support member, said reversing roll being rotatably mounted on said journal.

8. in a filter press as defined in claim 5; further comprising a plurality of chain levers each having a bore accommodating one of said projections and a larger upwardly directed arm as well as a shorter downwardly directed arm; further comprising a pin on said shorter arm projecting laterally therefrom and engageable with an associated engaging element in response to pivoting of said chain lever resulting from exertion of requisite force upon said upper arm by a lifting means, so as to disengage said associated engaging element from the projection. 

1. In a filter press, in combination, a stack of horizontally oriented vertically superposed filter plates each having a frame; a plurality of projections provided on and laterally extending from the respective frames; and a plurality of engaging elements mounted on the projections of the respective filter plates and each operative for engaging the projections of a vertically adjacent filter plate so as to maintain successive ones of said filter plates connected at predetermined spacing in response to vertical shifting of said stack, each of said engaging elements having spaced end portions one of which is provided with a bore accommodating one of said projections and the other of which is configurated as an open hook releasably engageable with a projection of a vertically adjacent filter plate.
 2. In a filter press as defined in claim 1, wherein said one end is the upper end, and said other end is the lower end.
 3. In a filter press as defined in claim 2, wherein said engaging elements are of planar configuration and provided on vertically adjacent ones of said projections in axially offset relationship.
 4. In a filter press as defined in claim 3, said engaging elements being sheet metal stampings.
 5. In a filter press as defined in claim 3, said engaging elements being freely turnable around the axis of the respectively associated projection; and wherein said hook-shaped other ends are so configurated that they depend freely under the influence of gravity, with the tip of the respective hook extending laterally beyond the associated filter plate.
 6. In a filter press as defined in claim 3, said frames having corners; further comprising angle elements each embracing one of said corners and having two arms; and screw means releasably connecting said angle elements to said corners, one of said arms carrying one of said projections; and a reversing roll journaled on the other of said arms and engageable with an endless filter band which passes in a zig-zag path between consecutive ones of said filter plates.
 7. In a filter press as defined in claim 6; further comprising a support member provided on the other of said arms, and a journal provided on said support member, said reversing roll being rotatably mounted on said journal.
 8. In a filter press as deFined in claim 5; further comprising a plurality of chain levers each having a bore accommodating one of said projections and a larger upwardly directed arm as well as a shorter downwardly directed arm; further comprising a pin on said shorter arm projecting laterally therefrom and engageable with an associated engaging element in response to pivoting of said chain lever resulting from exertion of requisite force upon said upper arm by a lifting means, so as to disengage said associated engaging element from the projection. 